A Short Walk Through a Wide World by author Douglas Westerbeke is, basically, stories within a story that tell the incredible and fantastical tale of Aubry Tourvel’s life. As she walks the earth and meets new people, we learn of the places she’s been, the knowledge she’s gathered, the skills she’s gained, the relationships she’s been able to cultivate in short periods of time. The writing is so beautiful and imaginative that it truly pulls you in and takes you on a journey to search for belonging and human connection. Those things are hard enough to find in a world where we have the luxury of more than a few days. But, somehow, she’s able to make deep and significant relationships despite the fact that she’s constantly being forced to move on. Add to that the fact that she finds old, abandoned libraries where she takes shelter and reads as much as she can before she has to keep walking, makes Aubry very much a kindred spirit.

I finished this book a few months ago, but find myself thinking about it often. I am attracted to Historical Fantasy and Magical Realism lately and ASWTaWW hits all the buttons. Lyrical, melancholic prose and an imaginative narrative create a stunning debut that is sure to stay with the reader for a long while.

3.5* rounded up

I enjoyed this story. It was so lush and transportive. There was so much in it and yet the plot was a little thin.

We follow Aubry through the world. It’s exhausting and frightening, but also dazzling.

Everything for her is fleeting but also felt. Nothing is stagnant because she must keep moving. She has no home; no place to plant roots. She travels, she gets ill and she meets people. Yet, I found myself questioning. Most people don’t move. Is it better or more interesting? Is it more valuable? Aubrey would like nothing more than to be in control. She enjoys the travel but she also doesn’t. She’s forced to move and her illness is painful.

At the same time, I wondered what the point of all of this was. Is the author pondering the meaning of life? Is Aubrey on a quest for a new home or a cure?

The plot is vague and overshadowed by the lovely mini stories of people and places. All of those people are interesting and wonderful to read about. There are a lot of tidbits that were so lovely that I won’t share so I don’t spoil it. The entire book feels like a descriptive daydream of all the various places and people one could meet. At the end of the road, there’s closure. I really liked that. The ending felt satisfying.

If you like descriptive (but not purple) prose, you’ll like this. It’s not exactly fantasy but it feels like a book with those elements.

Thanks to Simon & Schuster Canada and NetGalley for a free eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I had high hopes for this book but it unfortunately left me a bit disappointed. While the writing was exceptional and the plot had a lot of promise, it fell short of my expectations and it tended to, in my opinion, meander quite a bit without giving the readers a chance to connect with the characters introduced or the place Aubrey encounters in order to feel the same emotions she goes through for having to leave.

Throughout the book, which is told in a relatively non-linear fashion, we encounter the people Aubrey meets on her journey, with her life story retold through these interactions. Despite her intriguing adventures, I failed to connect with the main character or her journey which resulted in the book dragging on for me in various parts. The fact that the ending did not provide a "resolution" per se, did not assist in my enjoyment of the novel either.

Fantasy | Adult
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I requested a review copy of this one at about the same time I asked for The Other Valley, struck by their plot similarity and curious about the differences. Both involve solitary female protagonists who are moving through magical worlds, wishing they could go back through time, in a sense. But this one has a gruesome twist – when Aubry Tourvel is nine years old, living in 1895 Paris, she finds a wooden puzzle ball that somehow finds its way back to her when she tosses it aside. Beguiled, she decides not to throw it into a wishing well as she’d agreed to do with her older sisters. Soon after, Aubry falls ill with a terrible illness – she cannot stay in one physical place for more than three or four days or she bleeds to death. Thus begins a lifetime journey around the world, living lightly, finding and losing love, dodging death in more ways than one, and learning to love the world she finds and the people in it. How to describe this amazing, riveting story? It’s a travelogue that offers an historical perspective of the world from the TransSiberian Railroad to Africa to Alaska and everything in between. It’s a kind of fictional memoir, offering sad, comical and sometimes insightful musings as Aubry learns important life lessons, including the value of a skill and the general goodness of people. It’s full of magic and whimsy, from sleep-inducing pollen to hidden portals to a secret library. This one lingers, I have to say. If I had one criticism, it’s that Aubry’s growth as a person seems thin, given all she goes through. It seemed to me that most of her maturity happened in the first decade (which certainly wasn’t my experience!) – I would have liked to have seen more character development throughout her life. But that’s perhaps a reflection of where I am as a reader, rather than of the story itself. This is Westerbeke’s first novel – an impressive debut. My thanks to Simon & Schuster Canada for the digital reading copy provided through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. A copy is on order for Grand Forks (B.C.) & District Public Library so watch for it on the New Books shelves.
More discussion and reviews of this novel: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/176443045

A Short Walk Through a Wide World is a unique and emotional story that is hard to put down.

What a gorgeous and emotional story. The premise of this book instantly piqued my interest. The story follows the journey of Aubry, who realizes as a child that she is inflicted with this terrible disease. Essentially, if she stays in one place for too long, she will die. How can that not capture your attention? I really enjoyed the flow of this book. It’s beautifully written, and the author knows how to tug at those heartstrings. Many bookworms have been comparing this story to books like The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and Life with Pi.

This story is this sweeping, magical adventure that captured my attention right from the beginning. I’m a bookworm who loves to travel, so visiting so many different places with Aubry was an interesting and fabulous experience. The author does a beautiful job of transporting readers to these places through lush and vivid descriptions. I really loved Aubry and her journey. The life that she has to live is incredibly fascinating and also heart-wrenching. On the one hand, she travels all over the world and has experienced many amazing things. She has met and made friends with a lot of wonderful people. But on the other hand, Aubry’s life is very lonely. She is constantly on the move, so those friendships she has made don’t last, and she can’t build those deep connections she craves. She wants a home but can’t have one. Her isolation and loneliness just leaps from the pages and right into your heart. This story was just so powerful at times.

A Short Walk Through a Wide World is a beautiful and captivating story that is hard to forget.

I can't believe this is a debut novel! It was spectacular!

The viewpoint and experiences of the protagonist will resonate with readers, and I resonated with her so much. The wanderlust aspects in particular were captivating.

The common themes throughout the novel are of love and loss and you can really feel a kinship as you journey with her.

The story was gripping and had me engaged the whole way through. The ending was a satisfying one, so it made for a well-rounded read!

This book had me really made me look at my world, and when a book can do that and inspire, it's done more than you could ask.

Bravo and thank you Netgalley

[arc review]
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
A Short Walk Through a Wide World releases April 2, 2024

2.75

Any book that has The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue as a comp title will instantly grab my attention.

In Westerbeke’s debut, his character is given an illness that has them bleeding to near death and suffering crippling pain every three to four days if they do not travel someplace new.
Since the age of 9, Aubry has been trying to outrun this illness that has no cure.
What happens when she runs out of cities to travel to? When every square inch overlaps with ground that she has already passed through?

I really wanted to <u>love</u> this one, but I found it was just <I>okay</I> — granted, my expectations were probably too high.

Aubry’s illness wasn’t as clearly defined as I would have liked; everything kind of just <I>happens</I> and she just always accepts the fact that there’s no cure. Given that she’s a “headstrong and stubborn” character, I would have like a bit of resistance.
She travelled the <u>entire</u> world, but what did she make of that? What lessons did she learn? What hardships did she face, other than having to uproot her life every three days?
As a reader, I was searching for a deeper message or life lesson to take away, and I didn’t get that.

There were also so many similarities that were too close to Addie LaRue for comfort, for example Aubry’s wooden puzzle ball that wouldn’t leave her possession no matter how hard she tried, which was just like Addie’s wooden ring or wooden bird — both tied to their sacrifices as being their most prized possessions.
The fact that they both originated from France, or that they both never got sick with colds.
Or how Aubry could periodically speak with the person who cursed her, just like Addie could with Luc — I could go on and on.
Actually, the more that I think about it, there was very little originality here.

In short, I do think there were some interesting ideas, but it just didn’t quite live up to my expectations in terms of overall depth.

Aubry suffers from a life-threatening illness. She can never remain in one place for too long, her body will shut down. She has to keep moving to live. What follows are her adventures around the world, filled with magic, love, danger, and wonder. She meets people who change her, and she changes people. While her travel is envied by many, she longs for one place to call home.
This book is very reminiscent of The Invisible Life of Adie LaRue. It has a sense of magic and wonder. It takes you on a journey with Aubry, and feels like a National Geographic documentary of the world. It was a fun and enjoyable read.

An epic journey that treks the world over, a number of times. Aubry finds a puzzle ball when she is nine and soon after begins bleeding to death. It is discovered that as long as she is travelling she is well, but if she stops for more than two days in one place the bleeding will begin afresh. The novel follows her adventures around and beneath the earth. It is an interesting premise, but it did not draw me in as I had hoped it would.
Interesting and unique.

- Slow burn! Took me a while to get through this book, as it started off strong, but then I lost interest in it.
- Without any time stamps or years mentioned it's hard to keep up with where Aubry is in the world. It took me a while to clue into the fact that she's travelling and this isn't mentioned directly
- Aubry suffered from an incurable disease that doesn't allow her to stay in one place for more than 3 days at a time or else she will die.
- I found the ending quite abrupt. I was happy with where Aubry was but there were a lot of unanswered questions (puzzle ball, illness, timeline)
- 3.5/5 stars - maybe just not my cup of tea, but a book for sure that goes into great detail of setting and lets your experience places with your mind!

What an amazing book. Aubry's disease causes her to wander, and this book could have read like a travelogue all about places and things. But it isn't. This is a book about relationships and people. About home, and loss and wandering. About making connections in small periods of time that create a lasting impact, both on Aubry and on those she meets. It reminds me of Gabriel Garcia Marquez with magical realism layered over intense humanity.

I'd recommend this book to anyone.

A Short Walk Through a Wide World is SO CHARMING.

They weren’t kidding when they called this The Life of Addie LaRue meets Life of Pie. It’s a wonderful little adventure story of a woman who can’t stop moving and the people she meets along the way.

In 1885 Aubry Tourvel finds a puzzle ball that happens to follow her home, within a week she starts to bleed to death. The only cure is going somewhere she has never been to before, but it only lasts a few days before she must move on.

Even though she is constantly on the run from her condition, the story focuses on the beautiful human connections she makes along the way. Her life is so full of wonderful stories and the whimsical way she moves through the world makes this book a must-read.

The only reason this isn’t a glowing 5 star for me was that the library and her disease don’t fully get explained, and I don’t know… maybe that’s part of the fun but I really wanted to know what it was all about!! It felt a little unresolved.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc. This is such a cool concept and is a strong debut. I enjoyed this one, it was interesting to see Aubrey's adventures around the world and the connections she was able to make with people over the short time they were together. Because of Aubrey's illness side characters never lasted long, and I struggled a bit with that, even though there's no way around it.

I found it a bit slow, but that's in large because it's very descriptive and as an aphant that does nothing for me. I think this is a book that really caters to those with visual imaginations. I wish this had gone deeper because there is so much potential here, as is for me it fell a bit flat.

I didn't understand the ending, I'm not sure if I missed something or if it's supposed to be loose and mysterious. I don't like unanswered mysteries, so I struggled with that. I was expecting to get all the answers and instead had more questions once I hit the end.

Overall, this is a solid debut with a really cool concept.

A Short Walk Through a Wide World by Douglas Westerbeke is a complex and fascinating novel that follows the travels of Aubry Tourvel, who cannot stop travelling for more than a few days or she will die a rather horrible death.
One cannot help but feel for her as she is thrust into nomadic life, even though she makes the best of a bad situation. Her travels are as wide ranging as her interactions with other people, and the author holds out hope for the innate goodness of people even as Aubry encounters those who are far from good at their core.
Westerbeke sweeps the reader along on the travels, both fascinating and alarming, and the book is difficult to put down as a result. However, I had hoped for an explanation as to why Aubry was thrust into a life a suffering, loneliness, adventure, and learning, and felt that I never truly received one. Towards the end the book turns philosophical and cryptic, taking away from the overall wonder that pervaded the majority of the story.
At its core, the book is well-written and captivating. I am happy to have read an ARC of #AShortWalkThroughaWideWorld provided through #NetGalley.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book. I thought the plot seemed intriguing, but I didn’t think I’d be sucked in so easily and so early on! It’s a solid debut novel, and I’d be interested in reading more from Westerbeke.

❤️ Strong, resilient FMC
❤️ Simple, but intriguing plot
❤️ Easy read with short chapters
❌ Plot feeling repetitive at some point
❌ Dialogues feeling slightly unrealistic and unrelatable
❌ Some loose ends

Trigger Warnings: blood and gore, trauma, violence, attempted assault, graphic depictions of animal hunting and skinning (as a vegan, I struggled with some parts).

Plot:
Paris, 1885: Aubry Tourvel, a stubborn 9-year-old girl from a wealthy family, comes across a wooden puzzle ball on her walk home from school. She then refuses to throw it in a wishing well although both of her sisters already abandoned their own valuable belongings. Soon after, she almost bleeds to death. When she realizes that moving keeps her alive, Aubry leaves the city with her mother, embarking on a walk that will bring her around the world many times over.

The plot is very simple, and yet this book takes you in completely new directions here and there, without feeling overwhelming. It’s like… a bittersweet love letter to travel and books / libraries, with a touch of mysterious magic. The plot felt somewhat repetitive and dragged a little at some point, but it eventually picked up again. I feel like the ending was slightly rushed; the new setting was very interesting, and I would have liked to know more.

Characters:
Aubry is a great main character: strong, resilient, resourceful, curious, smart. I don’t think I would have survived in her shoes. The other characters come and go, but I liked most of them and was sad to leave them alongside Aubry—especially the Prince and Marta. However, I felt like the latter was a bit of a loose end, unfortunately.

Writing:
I loved Westerbeke’s writing, especially his vivid and evocative descriptions of places, clothes, and food. This book was a sensory experience with lush and vivid descriptions that make you feel like you’re going around the world yourself. Now I blame Westerbeke for my sudden need to travel 🙃

However, I feel like some dialogues should have been reworked a little to feel more natural and relatable. Also, there are some things that felt inconsistent or even anachronic. Listen, I didn’t do much research, but names such as Aubry and Sylvie didn’t strike me as typical 1880s name. Aubry is usually a last name in French, or a typically male first name in English-speaking countries. Being French myself, this detail made me cringe *just a little*. I would have preferred if she’d had a realistic old French name or been English rather than French.

Well, that was unexpectedly delightful!

After reading the comparisons to Addie LaRue, I tried to go in with an open mind and low expectations. I’m glad I gave this book a shot!

A Short Walk Through a Wide World is the story of Aubrey, a young girl living in Paris in the late 1800s. She and her sisters happen upon a wishing well, and after Aubrey refuses to sacrifice her most treasured belonging, she is cursed with a mysterious illness whose symptoms manifest if she stays in the same place for more than 2-3 days.

Sounds heartbreaking, right? It is. From Aubrey leaving her home, and eventually her family, at such a young age, to her inability to form true, lasting friendships, I found Aubrey’s situation gutting. She’s a lot braver than I would have been!

Yet somehow, Aubrey’s story is still hopeful. She’s a survivor. She may long for home, but she also thrives on discovering new sights and experiencing new things.

The cast of characters we meet along the way, and how Aubrey interacts with them, really show her personal character growth. I loved that most of the people Aubrey met were kind. I’d like to believe this is true in our world as well. We all need a Prince in our lives.

I want to touch briefly on the writing. It’s so descriptive and flowing, just what is needed in an epic adventure tale. Landscapes come to life, emotions are tangible, dialogue is believable. Great work by this debut author!

A perfect read for lovers of adventure, found family, and magical realism.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for providing the ARC of this book. This review is my honest and voluntary opinion.

This is a great concept and there are so many great strings here, but I don't feel that they really braid together the way they could have. Aubry's travels are interesting as are the people she meets, but I don't feel that we truly get to know Aubry, or understand her illness, or the libraries - this novel is long on prose and short on explanations. Perhaps that is a part of the magic - AUbry herself doesn't really know or understand either - but it feels like our focus is very disjointed, trying to cram in all of the people and places as well as the mysteries of the puzzle ball and the illness and the libraries. There are certainly elements here that many readers will enjoy and a lot to learn from Aubry herself, but I feel like Westerbeke is just getting started as a writer and future endeavours may be more satisfying overall.

As someone who loves nothing more than curling up with a good book and dreaming of far-off lands, I was immediately drawn to "A Short Walk Through a Wide World" by debut author Douglas Westerbeke. From the very first page, I felt a kinship with Aubrey Tourvel, our intrepid protagonist, who is forced to keep moving to avoid a mysterious ailment.

In many ways, Aubrey's journey mirrors our own quest for connection and understanding in a vast and ever-changing world. Like many of us, she grapples with the transient nature of relationships, finding solace in fleeting connections and the beauty of the unknown. As she travels from one place to another, I found myself nodding along, empathizing with her struggles and celebrating her victories.

Westerbeke's writing is both captivating and relatable, weaving a tale that is equal parts enchanting and thought-provoking. Through Aubrey's eyes, I experienced the world in a new light, savoring every lush description and poignant moment of introspection. Despite the fantastical elements, the core of the story resonates with universal themes of love, loss, and the resilience of the human spirit.

One of the highlights of the book is Aubrey's unwavering determination and sense of humor, which shine through even in the darkest of moments. Her journey is peppered with touching encounters and unexpected twists, keeping me on the edge of my seat until the very end.

While there were moments where I wished for more depth and detail, particularly regarding certain plot points, the overall impact of the story is undeniable. The ending, while unexpected, left me feeling both satisfied and contemplative, much like the conclusion of a long journey.

In conclusion, "A Short Walk Through a Wide World" is a relatable and deeply satisfying read that will appeal to anyone who has ever felt the tug of wanderlust or the ache of longing for connection. Douglas Westerbeke has crafted a timeless tale that will stay with me long after I've turned the final page, reminding me of the beauty and complexity of the world we inhabit.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Final Thoughts: This book is more than just a story; it's a companion for anyone who has ever dared to dream of adventure and discovery. Dive in and let Aubrey's journey inspire your own wanderlust-fueled escapades.

A great, imaginative and thought provoking adventure story. It was a quick read with short chapters that keep the pages turning. I think fans of Addie la Rue, The Ten Thousand Doors of January or How to Stop Time will probably enjoy this title as well.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada, Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster for a copy of this ARC to review.

Nine-year-old Aubry is living in Paris with her family when one day she becomes violently ill. The family doctor can't help her but Aubry discovers if she leaves the area where she's been sick, she gets better. She also discovers if she stays in one place for more than three or four days she becomes violently ill again. She and her mother travel while searching for a cure but the money is drying up. Aubry writes a note to her sleeping mother and leaves to start travelling the world on her own.

This is a story about the journey and not the destination, longing, loss, personal growth and adventure. It's also about the people who made the biggest impact on Aubry throughout her life. Most of them, due to the nature of her illness, meant she was only with them for a few days. How do you make the most of your short time with someone? Make friends? Fall in love? Let go? How do you grow as a person and survive in an ever changing environment? (Shh, there are secret libraries. Secret doors to secret libraries!) Who is the voice in her head that she talks to? And what about that wooden puzzle ball that sometimes shows her which direction to go?

I absolutely loved this book from start to finish. Beautiful writing, short chapters (my favourite), magical and a destination I love. I am not one for trying to figure out what might be going on, I prefer the ride the story takes me on. But, I was so intrigued by what might be causing the illness and what might be going on with Aubry that I was making notes throughout, wondering if what I had just read were hints or not. This is definitely a story you can read and contemplate or devour in one sitting. Your choice on how to enjoy this adventure